ORANGE, Calif. - Led by senior All-American pitcher
Wayde Kitchens' four-hit shutout, the Chapman
University baseball team defeated the No. 4 ranked Kean University
(NJ) Cougars 5-0 on Saturday night at Hart Park. The win marks the
Panthers' ninth straight victory at home and fourth consecutive win
against Kean dating back to last season.
Chapman (15-5) took a 2-0 first-inning lead off of Cougar
starter junior Joe Bartlinski. Senior IF
Patrick Ohail gave the Panthers their first run of
the game on a run-scoring groundout which brought home junior OF
Ryan Prechtl. With runners on first and third,
junior C Joe Lehman then singled down the right
field line to score sophomore OF John Semel.
The Panthers added a run in the second, fifth and sixth innings
pushing their lead to 5-0 which would be all the run support that
Kitchens would need. The Panther starter held the Cougars hitless
until a lead-off single by freshman IF D.J.
Breckenridge in the sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, Kean (9-2) loaded the bases with one out
but could not capitalize as Kitchens got freshman OF Ryan
Gibbons to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Kitchens (5-1) closed out the final two innings, allowing just
one hit, for his fourth complete game of the season. After losing
his first start against Kean University in 2007, Kitchens has now
won three-consecutive outings against the Cougars.
Junior OF Ryan Prechtl led the Panthers
offensive attack going 2-for-3 in the leadoff spot with two RBI,
two walks and a run scored.
